Irish Daily Star

Prison chiefs probe inmate’s cell death 25-YEAR-OLD ‘DIED IN HIS SLEEP’ AT JAIL

- ■■Michael O’TOOLE Crime Correspond­ent

At the Court of Appeal yesterday, counsel for the State said the trial judge made references to UK case law that determined in cases where an invitation was made to someone to touch an accused person and they did, then the inviter cannot be convicted of assault.

Counsel referred to a statement by the alleged injured party that the respondent “kind of just stopped” during the alleged assault. He said that this demonstrat­ed there had been agency.

Counsel for the respondent said there had been “a hole in the case” as there was no evidence of any force being used.

The court will reserve judgement in the matter.

PRISON bosses have launched an investigat­ion after this inmate was found dead in his cell early yesterday.

has confirmed that Keith Boyle (25) was found dead in his bed at Castlerea Prison in Co Roscommon and is believed to have died in his sleep.

Sources say there is no suggestion of foul play.

Investigat­ors are now awaiting the results of a post-mortem.

Boyle, who was from Letterkenn­y, Co Donegal was serving a 15-month jail term for drugs offences when he died.

“They are young people and shouldn’t be going forward in this manner.”

Judge Larkin said that the court had heard a history of family discord and unpleasant­ness linked to land “and these two young people got involved”.

Ms Fahy said she still has a mark on her face from the egg assault but that it wasn’t visible in court as she had make-up on.

She said that on the day

He was jailed by Letterkenn­y Circuit Criminal Court last October and was due to be released by the end of September.

A full investigat­ion has now been launched into the circumstan­ces of his death.

A spokespers­on for the Irish Prison Service said: “The Irish Prison Service can confirm that there was a death in custody of a person in the custody of the Irish Prison Service on 26th January 2023 and the next of kin have been notified.

“This death in custody will be investigat­ed by the Irish Prison Service, The Inspector of Prisons and An Garda Síochána, where circumstan­ces warrant.

“The cause of death is determined by the Coroner’s Office.”

Spree

Boyle, from Derryveagh, Avenue in Letterkenn­y, had previous conviction­s and was jailed in September 2018 for nine months after he went on a crime spree.

Charges included making threats with a knife, stealing two mobile phones, possessing a stolen social welfare card, stealing alcohol, threatenin­g staff at a takeaway and stealing alcohol.

Other charges included causing €650 of damage to two gaming machines, being involved in a hit and run and public order offences.

In 2017, he struck a worker at The Grill takeaway when asked to leave and returned a short time later with a piece of timber and smashed a window.

On another occasion he went to a house and told a woman that her son owed him €200 and produced a knife.

 ?? ?? HIT WITH FINES: Cathal Connors and sister Michelle Connors (inset) carried out 32-egg assault on their aunt
SHOCK: Pair’s aunt Mary Fahy
HIT WITH FINES: Cathal Connors and sister Michelle Connors (inset) carried out 32-egg assault on their aunt SHOCK: Pair’s aunt Mary Fahy
 ?? ?? POST-MORTEM: Keith Boyle
POST-MORTEM: Keith Boyle

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